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NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson keeps winning despite fan feelings toward him

September 30, 2013

Johnson has won five Cup titles, and is in contention again this season. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

It’s hard to fathom why any NASCAR fan would dislike Jimmie Johnson and wish him harm. (“I hope the SOB crashes on the last lap,” a recent blogger posted on an in-race message board.) Other than beating everyone else’s favorite driver with impressive regularity, the humble, well-spoken, squeaky-clean, respectful and socially conscious driver with Hendrick Motorsports has never done anything to warrant such venom. Indeed, he’s among the least-polarizing champions since Bobby Labonte in 2000.

After winning at Dover last weekend, the five-time Sprint Cup champion fielded a question about ticking off fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished second for the third time this year, twice behind Johnson. “It doesn’t matter that it was him I beat,” Johnson said. “I tick them off regardless. Just my breathing ticks off some of them.”

Earlier in the post-race media session, he paid homage to NASCAR’s all-time favorite driver. “It’s really cool [his eighth win at Dover International Speedway],” he said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever done what [seven-time Dover winner] Richard Petty hasn’t done. To get this win is very, very special. It was the first thought through my mind when I crossed the finish line. This is a big day [because] I came so close in the spring and had it slip away. It was nice to get it done today.”

Crew chief Chad Knaus has been atop the pit box for each of Johnson’s eight Dover wins and for most of his other 55 career Cup wins. (He’s been suspended for several of his team’s wins, including Johnson winning the 2006 Daytona 500.) Knaus was as impressed as anyone that his driver has done something that even Petty never did.

“It’s pretty spectacular every time I hear Jimmie’s name mentioned in the same sentence as Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt Sr. … all those guys who have done so well throughout the history of our sport,” Knaus said. “To be able to one up those guys right now is pretty spectacular. Jimmie used a lot of his knowledge and veteran knowledge to get us to where we are today.”

Dover is one of eight tracks where Johnson is the all-time winningest driver. In none of those wins at any of those tracks does anyone remember him knocking aside a rival or wrecking the leader to take the point. “The man’s got a lot of skills,” Knaus said. “It’s been an honor to work for him over the course of the years. I think he’s able to pull out some things that are pretty spectacular. He’s able to dig deeper, pull out his cape, make things happen in winning moments of these races that other people cannot do. It’s pretty spectacular.

“I’ve seen a lot of great drivers and worked with a lot of great drivers. Knowing what we’ve got sitting behind the seat is always a little bit of confidence, knowing if you get close and make the right call at the right time, he’s going to be able to carry the ball. I think he’s the most underrated champion we’ve had in this industry. He’s by far and above the most powerful driver over the course of the last 25 or 35 years in this sport.”

And here’s some bad news for all those Johnson haters: He’s won 24 times at the last seven Chase tracks. And for three of the past four seasons -- 2011 the only exception -- the fall winner at Dover has gone on to win the championship.